May 2016 No 131
Throttle-happy...
The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Nationals steam ahead; quite literally at Glen Helen last weekend where Ryan Dungey and Alex Martin had to match courage to the speed and potential of their race bikes at San Bernardino. Read on for Steve Matthes view of round two from twelve Photo by Simon Cudby
AMA-MX
MotoGP Home time...
CormacGP was again in the right place at the right time for this magic photo of Marc Marquez at Mugello last week. Thoughts are already firmly on course for Catalunya this week as one of the best Grands Prix of the MotoGP trail is followed by another immensely popular fixture. Will 93 be confirmed by HRC prior to his home rounds? Will the other tiles in the 2017 mosaic also be placed before the Catalan capital gets ready for round seven of eighteen? Photo by CormacGP
Scraping it...
Dylan Ferradis gives his race boots some abuse on one of several scrubbing spots at Talavera in Spain last weekend. The Frenchman again paced Jeffrey Herlings in the MX2 class but still needs some extra speed to stop the Dutchman’s nine Grand Prix undefeated streak Photo by Ray Archer
MX
H E A D & B RAIN P R O T E CT IO N 360 TURBINE TECHNOLOGY: UP TO 30% REDUCTION OF HEAD IMPACT AT CONCUSSION LEVEL UP TO 40% REDUCTION OF ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION TO HEAD AND BRAIN
W W W .L E ATT.CO M
RYAN SIPES
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GRAnD pRiX OF SpAin
tALAVeRA · MAy 29th · Rnd 9 of 18 MXGp winner: tim Gajser, honda MX2 winner: 84...
the whIstle blew on half-tIme for 2016 mXgp wIth the grand prIX of spaIn and the thIrd fIm motocross world champIonshIp event to squeeze Into the talavera de la reIna facIlIty; the ‘cerro negro’ hard-pack racetrack. tIm gaJser managed hIs fIfth vIctory of the year whIle red bull ktm’s Jeffrey herlIngs reached an mX2 cushIon of 122 poInts By Adam Wheeler Photos by Ray Archer
GAjSer GASeS to hiS fifth
MXGP SPA
H
onda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser will not have many better weekends this year – in his career even – than at Talavera de la Reina and the Cerro Negro circuit where he was simply unbeatable from the moment the pitlane opened on Saturday. Is the Slovenian MXGP rookie really steering a 450? He’s making the series look like kid’s play and Spain was his most authoritative since he brought out his CRF450RW ‘toy’ for the first time in Qatar. The nineteen year old (!) admitted that he went home after the Grand Prix of Trentino and worked on his concentration and other mental factors (mostly related to pressure and being so high placed in the championship) with his father/trainer Bogo in an effort to cut down some of the crashes he’d been experiencing in the previous three rounds. It worked in Spain with Gajser a calm, controlling and uncatchable force. Red Bull KTM’s Tony Cairoli could not match the starts and a heavy crash in the second moto pushed the Sicilian down to ninth to end his mini-revival and two wins on the bounce with a deflating seventh place overall. World Champion Monster Energy Yamaha’s Romain Febvre had his own problems after being struck on the left arm by Cairoli in Saturday’s qualification heat and battled pain and a lack of strength to somehow get through the races and take sixth place. Febvre was lucky that his injury was not more serious – certainly in terms of the close championship chase with the reigning number one trailing Gajser by four points prior to Talavera – and he made the chequered flag both times and only losing ground to his rival by another twenty points. There were some signs at Talavera that Gajser’s plight for back-to-back MX2-MXGP titles might face some stiff resistance in the second half of the campaign. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Max Nagl nailed the holeshot twice and was a clear second place, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle enjoyed his first top three moto finish on the KX450F with third in the opening race and HRC’s Gautier Paulin returned to the overall podium in just his second GP back from rib and vertebra injury.
Wilvo Virus Performance KTM’s Shaun Simpson rode strongly from almost the last gate pick after his chain snapped in qualification (and there are still three sandy Grands Prix to come) and Kemea Yamaha’s Valentin Guillod mixed fast speed with doses of the spectacular at a circuit he enjoys to show that there is more than just one impressive rookie in MXGP. Gajser remains the benchmark however. “He is riding good and is in a good position at the moment,” conceded a soundly defeated Nagl. “We all do our best and the start is 80% of the race and today I had the holeshot twice and still couldn’t win so there is still some work to do from myself…but it takes time and it is not always easy.” It was hard to tell if the crowd attendance was noticeable up or down last weekend. Spain has Jose Butron in MXGP who made a decent fist of trying to break the top ten on the Marchetti Racing team KTM but there is a level of impatience around KTM’s Jorge Prado.
MXGP SPA
Herlings still has a strapped left ankle but rode one of his steadiest and maturest races for quite some time in Spain. The 2012 and ‘13 world champion let Ferrandis and Paturel try to break at the front and then swept them aside for his seventh double from nine events
The fifteen year old notched his second consecutive EMX250 podium in his first year on the bigger bike and there is a clamour and hope around this athlete that’s been building for several years. Regardless of his efforts in the European series expect Prado to be fasttracked into MX2 for 2017 and then it is a matter of time before he excels in Grand Prix or chases the supercross dream in America. Talavera will certainly benefit from Prado’s emergence and flowering profile if the Grand Prix makes the slate for 2017. Speaking of MX2…Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings dialled back his impetuosity but wheeled out his weekly show of dominance to go nine in a row and have claimed 17 from 18 motos. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis and Kemea Yamaha’s Benoit Paturel both had to be caught in the MX2 outings but the twenty one year old then set about racing the track and dodging the backmarkers in what is becoming a steadfast routine. Herlings’ superiority now has a value of 122 points over Jeremy Seewer (a first moto crash for the Swiss Suzuki man prompting a startling comeback from 36th to 11th but meant he missed the podium) while Pauls Jonass – on the podium for the fourth time – is narrowing the tussle for second spot. It is still too early and too risky to tempt fate in the Herlings camp because the injury lessons and pain of 2014 and 2015 will not be easily forgotten. However in his current streak Herlings could close the book four rounds before the end of the season. Swiftly onto France now and the first time MXGP drops into St Jean since 2014.
MXGP SPA
New father Clement Desalle is finally getting his speed together on a Kawasaki that he has barely ridden or raced in anger so far this season. A first moto third place indicates that the Belgian is getting close. 2015 was the first season since 2009 that Desalle missed a GP win and he won’t be wanting to extend the dry spell...
MXGP SPA
MXGP SPA
Good...but not good enough by Nagl in Spain. Max is showing decent form and his starts have certainly improved on the works Husky but Gajser still holds the upper hand. This was Nagl’s fourth MXGP podium of the year
MXGP SPA
MXGP SPA
A second career podium for Benoit Paturel and after his first at the end of 2015; expect more from the Frenchman who is in just his second GP term
MXGP SPA
clasSification & World championship MXGP Overall result
MX2 Overall result
Riders
Riders
1
Tim Gajser, SLO
2 Max Nagl, GER 3
Gautier Paulin, FRA
4 Clement Desalle, BEL 5
Evgeny Bobryshev, RUS
Honda Husqvarna Honda Kawasaki Honda
MXGP standings after 9 of 18 rounds Riders 1
1
Jeffrey Herlings, NED
2 Benoit Paturel, FRA 3
KTM Yamaha
Pauls Jonass, LAT
KTM
4 Dylan Ferrandis, FRA
Kawasaki
5
Alex Tonkov, RUS
Yamaha
MX2 standings after 9 of 18 rounds Points
Riders
Points
Tim Gajser
385
1
Jeffrey Herlings
447
2 Romain Febvre
361
2 Jeremy Seewer
325
3
338
3
300
4 Max Nagl
317
4 Benoit Paturel
251
5
295
5
240
Tony Cairoli Evgeny Bobryshev
Pauls Jonass Aleksandr Tonkov
MX
BLOG
all the right moves... By Adam Wheeler
S
illy season has almost come and gone before the beginning of June in MotoGP but the shifting scene in MXGP is rolling on a slightly more normal schedule. Even though he has a year in place with Yamaha rumours have been swirling that world champion Romain Febvre is being heavily courted by HRC as they look to eject one Frenchman and gain another. Honda have their own star in place – current MXGP rookie trailblazer Tim Gajser – but the Slovenian (if he succeeds this summer) could repeat his late gesture after winning the 2015 MX2 crown and request a transfer to the USA to pursue his supercross dream (even though he has yet to compete in a high profile supercross meeting and is allegedly reluctant to switch back to a 250, meaning an Anaheim I debut in the 450 division!). Gajser has been groomed by Giacomo Gariboldi; who has created a structure around the nineteen year old that accommodates his close family. Both his father and brother work as part of his racing programme. Frankly it is hard to imagine this kind of framework fitting into a U.S. team (it would even be an adjustment for another Grand Prix crew) and combine this with the culture change of moving across the world and it would be a heavy few months for Team Gajser. Moving out of one red awning and walking a few metres to another one would be the most logical move but would leave a gaping hole at Gariboldi, unless the passionate Italian is charged with finding the ‘next Gajser’ and going back to his MX2 remit. Back to Febvre though. There is a view among the media that the recent links to Honda and also Husqvarna (although Gautier Paulin is also a target for the IceOne contingent who would then count on a potent trio of Max Nagl, the Motocross of Nations winner and the incoming Max Anstie) has come about with a view towards strengthening Febvre’s value to Yamaha. One of
the pillars of his debut championship success in 2015 was not only his quick and virulent symbiosis with the YZ450FM but also the way he integrated into the Italian crew who marvelled at the Frenchman’s focus, simplicity and oldfashioned levels of dedication. In an interview I conducted with team owner Michele Rinaldi earlier this year Italy’s first MX world champ said that he saw an ‘old school’ approach in Febvre; an athlete unfazed by any other aspect of achieving fame in his game. Rinaldi has also said several times that the twenty-four year old’s capability to deal with pressure has stood him apart from the rest of his past rider roster… and there are some seriously big names that have worn the Rinaldi blue. Febvre has not been the best starter in 2016 and is living slightly in Gajser’s shadow in this respect but the high and mutual work ethic between both parties meant that ‘461’ remained in Italy for more tests after the previous Grand Prix of Trentino and they will eventually find a remedy as they did for the Swedish round last summer where Febvre went 1-1 thanks to his prolificacy off the line. In summary the Febvre-Yamaha partnership is a brilliant one and the only way it could fracture is through a contract offer from a rival brand that causes heads to turn and pockets to warm. There was talk in Talavera de la Reina that Romain was very close to inking paperwork with Yamaha once more and committing some of his peak years as an athlete at this level to staying with the brand. The news could be out by the time this Blog is online or maybe in the runup to Romain’s home Grand Prix this weekend in St Jean D’Angely. I would be surprised if he changed colours but if he does then the shade of green could well be the defining motive.
Once Febvre is sealed then Paulin will inevitably be next although his stock could have fallen slightly with the lack of victories on the CRF450RW (even though he was second in the championship last year) and the injury problems this season. If Paulin departs Honda then one of the biggest and best supported units in MXGP will have to source a rider that they believe could mount a challenge for the title… or bide their time until Jeffrey Herlings sees out his KTM deal at the end of 2017. Looking around it is hard not to imagine Stefan Everts wanting to refresh the line-up at Suzuki and drop the average age with both Kevin Strijbos and Ben Townley now into their thirties. Everts’ protracted takeover of Sylvain Geboers’ set-up last year meant that he was late to the negotiating table and the Belgian will also want a racer pushing for rostrum silverware. In Spain Jeremy Van Horebeek’s name was being linked again to the Lommel-based operation and the friendship between the two Belgians has always been positive, so it is easy to foresee an inevitable professional bond emerging. In MX2 the onus lies with Jeremy Seewer who is free for 2017 but is already down the road with Suzuki and remaining with the brand that he has been a part of for five years now. The twenty-one year old Swiss has matured into a podium regular and has developed both physically and mentally. He still has two years in MX2 and if Herlings departs for ’17 is already nearing the status of ‘favourite’ with the likes of Dylan Ferrandis, Alex Tonkov and Max Nagl all waving goodbye to the 250s at the end of the year…at least in Grands Prix. Athletes like Pauls Jonass, Benoit Paturel, Brent Van Doninck, Petar Petrov, Samuele Bernardini, Thomas Covington and Vsevolod Brylyakov will also form part of the MX2 make-up, with half of those names already settled for the next season.
Getting into the new season halfway through the present one always seems a little ridiculous, especially in the perilous immediacy of motocross (pause for a thought for Steven Frossard here…) but it always provides a good excuse to speculate and to judge and forecast: always one of the best diversions from racing - or any sport – until the gate drops.
Feature
vSevolod brylyAkov
2016 has seen the emergence of ‘seva’ brylyakov and the latest russIan to cause a stIr In mXgp. the twenty year old has already graced the mX2 podIum In hIs fIrst season wIth the monster energy drt kawasakI crew. we spoke wIth ‘18’ before he embarked on hIs maIden voyage wIth the kX250f and Just when hIs name was becomIng a lIttle easIer to spell and say after some attentIon gatherIng performances In the fIrst part of 2015. thIs feature was orIgInally publIshed In the uk’s sole monthly magazIne dIrt bIke rIder
sHReDDinG tHe onion takIng notIce of seva brylyakov
By Adam Wheeler Photos by Ray Archer
Feature
M
any people had difficulty to pronounce the name of the rider that Steve Dixon’s Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki team decided to take a punt on for 2016. After some peachy times with Zach Osborne, Dean Ferris and Max Anstie in MX2, Dixon eyed two ventures this season: resurgence with Tommy Searle, and some more of his development/elevation magic with a younger prospect. Twenty year old Russian, Vsevolod Brylyakov has already caused a stir just five Grands Prix into his term with the British crew and his fourth in MX2. Where did he come from? What’s his story and how has Dixon done it again? ‘Brylyakov’ is a name that has hovered around Grand Prix for a couple of years and been submerged in that strange and fluctuating midgroup in MX2 that combine emerging talent, riders struggling to breakthrough, those on the fast-track, wealthy aspirants and relentless hopefuls. Slight, fair-headed and with a loose and barrelling riding style that indicated that ‘18’ was one of the harder-edged competitors ‘Seva’ was still however hard to notice as injuries largely meant he was dipping in and out of the class. A Honda rider for 2014-15 it was last year that he finally matured in terms of strength, fitness and confidence (talking to Seva in his excellent English it is clear that he is an level-headed athlete, independent and used to managing many areas of his life singlehandedly) to push that surname into top five prominence. It was in the middle of ’14 when the Dixon operation first had a blip on their radar. “I first saw him at Teutschenthal [Germany] in 2014,” recounts Ashley Kane who describes himself as a Jack-of-all-trades for the team but has been one of Dixon’s closest confidants for a number of years and fills an important, unofficial consultancy role. One that was responsible for Osborne, Ferris and Anstie coming into the set-up and helped nurture the potential that Billy Mackenzie showed in the Noughties. “I was watching the riders come through the
section that goes past the pitlane and thought ‘who’s that?!’ He just had that bit of aggression and determination that caught the eye. He must have finished eighteenth or nineteenth that weekend [he was fourteenth overall] but I had already looked on the results sheets to see the name and number. He just didn’t seem to give up, and I mentioned him to Steve that day actually. He didn’t post the results but we saw the potential.” A year later and in the same mid-season period Dixon was coming to terms with Max Anstie’s decision to end a two-year association and move to factory Husqvarna for this final MX2 tilt for 2016. Weeks later and Brylyakov would start to create some momentum. A fourth place at the Grand Prix of Sweden would be the highlight until he wrecked his shoulder at Kegums in Latvia and it largely snuffed his progress. A dispute with his current J-Tech team meant his future was briefly uncertain. Dixon and Kane had already decided to make an approach. “We were not worried about Seva coming in and having to follow Max, we figured that getting a rider like Tommy would take care of the limelight – so to speak – while we thought that we could work with Seva and grow with him; Ash spotted him and then we saw a good project,” recounts Dixon. “We haven’t really had the budget to match the bigger teams so we have to look and spend wisely,” voices Kane. “The team has a good record, but it has become more and more competitive [to find talent] in the last ten years because riders are much more switched on when it comes to training and getting the physical side of the job right; there has been a lot of input from specialists, more than before. So getting it right in choosing a rider has become more difficult.”
vsevolod brylyakov
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“It is easy to spend and go and buy a rider that can fight for Grand Prix wins but if you give a rider the right set-up - and Steve builds a very good motorcycle - and dedicated staff then you will really see what people can do,” he continues. “It is a very fine line between a rider who can reach the top five and another that can push for podiums and more.” “Of course, we are constantly looking and watching,” he adds. “I was in Valkenswaard checking out the European classes and also MX2. Also the Australian nationals. You cannot limit your scope, motocross is a global sport and it should be treated globally. Brylyakov was a great move for us and the right one at the right time.” We actually meet Seva in former rider-and-now trainer Chris Hay’s house in California. It is early in the supercross season and Brylyakov is in the States with Searle and other members of DRT sorting their pre-GP prep in the run-up to Qatar. He’s quiet, almost a little shy and is clearly trying to feel his way into a British group after having been based among Italians (Gariboldi and J-Tech) for the last three years. We grab some photos and have a chat and then later sit down for a more formal conversation in the paddock of the San Diego SX and outside the vast walls of Petco Park. Seva might be adept with his English (“he has a better sense of humour than I thought he would,” says Dixon) but he actually takes time to think about his answers and it’s a refreshing conversation (“I thought he was polite and down to earth,” says Kane. “I thought he was very grounded and knew what he wanted; you can tell quite a lot through first impressions.”). If he continues to surprise with his riding and results (a first podium is already in the bag) then his voice will become far more prevalent as 2016 rolls on and onto next year when ath-
letes like Alex Tonkov, Anstie, Herlings move out of MX2 and Brylyakov will be running at the forefront. 2015 ended quite abruptly for you. Was it frustrating to get that injury because it seemed like other teams and a lot of people were starting to look at the momentum you were gathering…? Very disappointing because I was making the results and starting to close-in on the podium in GPs and the shoulder injury effectively kicked me out of competition and definitely out of the top five. The shoulder can also be a complicated joint to fix… The problem we had was a broken ligament and the Acromion bone came out. I also had problems around my ribs and it was a strange injury. It took a lot of recovery time and I was two months in a sport medical centre in Russia. It was the longest period of treatment I had ever done and it was strange to deal with. I’ve had normal fractures and broke my back one but the problem with this one was that I didn’t really feel that I had to stay away from the bike. I was still racing in Lommel and in the Czech Republic…but eventually had to walk away because I didn’t have the strength to make the results. You always have to be 100% for GPs. How did you initially get to Europe? I was a kid! And the first time was in 2006 when I was riding 65s. I had some good results in the European Championship and was second, fighting for the title and then had a few seasons out. I was back in 2010 with the Suzuki International team and fighting for a European title again with people like Tim Gajser and Brian Bogers and every season after that I was trying to find some way to stay here; some sponsors or teams that would help me keep going. It was difficult for a Russian kid because we come from far away, we have to be away
vsevolod brylyakov
Feature from home a long time and not many teams believed in Russians at that moment. I’ve been living on my own since I was fifteen. I’m used to training just with my mechanic and doing my physical work alone. I’m lucky to have a guy, Roberto Manzaroli, in Italy helping on the personal training side and with working during pre-season. Most of the time I’m by myself washing, cooking, cleaning. In the beginning it was a bit complicated but you get used to it. Was it difficult to get noticed? Was it something you could only do via results? I think an important part was being known as a good guy and being good to people around you. Luckily I had some friends in Europe and I’ve kept good relationships with the teams and people I have been with. I had a great contact and friend in Holland who helped me out when I was at home and without a bike to ride. I was lucky to make those relationships.
Were your family concerned when you moved to Europe so young? They were…but they knew what I was doing and how I was spending my days. They built my character and they trusted me. They ‘let me go’ and took that risk. Honestly the first years alone in Europe were not that good for me. I was not practicing at the same intensity as I do now…but I was just a kid. I felt lonely every day. I’d look out of the window and see an empty street and felt pretty alone. How did you get through that? There wasn’t much choice. I made the choice to be where I was and I had to get through it. I did it through determination to race motocross and be one of the top guys. I was thinking about that a lot and it kept me going. Your English is really good…where did that come from? Actually my mum was the first person who pushed me to learn English and she put me into an English school in Russia when I was seven. It all started from there and speaking it day-b- day and then when I came to Europe. My parents don’t speak English so it was only me who could talk to the teams and the sponsors. Obviously riding for a British team now helps even more and in the first two or three weeks I was thinking ‘what are these guys saying to each other?!’ It was difficult! I lived in Italy for two and a half years so I can speak and understand Italian.
vsevolod brylyakov Where did you live? When I was with the Gariboldi team then I lived near Milan and the last year and a half I was near Parma with J-Tech Honda. Now I am moving around and have been in the UK. It must be hard to have a feeling of ‘home’ sometimes… It is difficult. Most of the riders and people in the sport don’t really know how I feel when I’m not at home but year-by-year I am moving around and changing and I came to realise that ‘home’ is where my family is. I’ve become used to living and moving. I probably only see my parents for three or four weeks a year. They don’t come to the GPs because it is not easy to travel due to visas and costs.
Where are they in Russia? I was born in a town – Izhevsk - over 1200km east from Moscow. It is in the middle of nowhere, right in the middle of Russia! The country is so big, as everyone knows. I’ll head there for Christmas and New Years when there is maybe five metres of snow and minus twentyfive. I go snowboarding and see friends and it is probably the best two-three weeks of holidays I can have. My parents were both professional biathlonists so there was always a good chance I’d be an athlete when I was born. The decision about motocross came when I was around four. They both work around the sport [biathlon] still. My Mum does massage and Spa treatments, while my Dad is a personal trainer. He made my career. I had some some guys training and helping me as a kid but the person beside me and keeping me on the right path was my Dad.
Feature
“I keep fighting every inch and second on the track and I don’t let anybody ‘go’ easily. I think I am still a dark horse in the GPs...”
vsevolod brylyakov
Feature
Where did the bikes come from? There were people around who rode, and our city was home to a good team that competed in the national championship. They let me try a bike when I was small and I kept asking to go again. From there I think it was all about luck, opportunity and the timing in life. Generally we were always struggling to find sponsors to buy bikes. With athletes as parents then it must have been a healthy household… A lot of Russian diet is healthy but honestly I didn’t care too much about food when I was younger. It is only in the last two-three years have I really looked into it. Everybody is working hard in GPs so you have to look for any tiny, little thing that might give the advantage over someone else. When it comes to Brylyakov’s nationality there is a sense of déjà vu going on. The first Russian to burst to prominence this decade also did it from within the confines of a British team – Evgeny Bobryshev with CAS Honda in 2010 (“Bobby actually had good things to say about Seva…he said that he was a hard worker and a good trainer; and he was right,” says Dixon). Although an alliance with a UK team means some potential visa hiccups for Russians (both Brylyakov and Bobryshev have come unstuck trying to enter GBR in recent years) there is something about the uncomplicated and pragmatic approach by both parties that seems to click. On the athlete’s side Kane cites a slight willingness to go the extra mile. “I think overseas riders need to make bigger sacrifices than, say, those from the UK or France for example so when they have the chance they really grab it and I think you can go back to the days of Grant Langston [South African] to see that; he struggled to qualify but then made big progress to win the champion-
ship in his second year. Those guys just seem to understand that there is a limited window.” “I suppose you could say it is the ‘foreign’ mentality,” ruminates Dixon. “I saw it also with [Brian] Jorgensen, [Kenneth] Gundersen, Ferris and Zach. He has come from a long way and we saw a level of dedication there. Some people just quite a bit too easily. Through our initial talks I saw some good signs and he just wanted to listen and learn.” Brylyakov has tamed the KX250F and installed himself in the top ten of MX2, the podium in Mexico could be the turning point. “Seva has surprised me on the bike,” evaluates Dixon. “In the beginning he was a bit too loose and I was worried about crashes but being in the U.S. in pre-season seemed to calm him down. He gets frustrated with himself but I think Tommy’s influence had been good for him and when he tells Seva not to beat himself up about little things then I can see him taking it in. Overall he has adapted well.” Talking about Grand Prix and Russians…people might see Evgeny Bobryshev as this big strong rider and Aleksandr Tonkov as this crazy guy who could win or crash. So what kind of ‘type’ can they expect from you? I don’t know! I think being Russian comes with a ‘name’ or a ‘meaning’: a Russian ‘power’! I keep fighting every inch and second on the track and I don’t let anybody ‘go’ easily. I think I am still a dark horse in the GPs and nobody expects much from me I guess. I don’t really care and I just do my job. We will see how it turns out…
vsevolod brylyakov
Is it quite exciting to be that ‘mystery’? Yeah, I guess but I’m not thinking about it [how he is perceived] too much even though I know you need people to speak about you around the paddock. The sport is also about the sponsors and people that make it happen. You are not a professional athlete if you don’t have fans. I don’t think too much about what I should be. I am who I am and get on with the job. I hope the results will talk. The last Russian Grand Prix in Semigorje three years ago saw a helluva lot of people turn up to watch… It is a big country and there had been a lot time without a Grand Prix so when that happened in 2012 it was exciting for everybody and I remember well seeing all those people and how they supported riders like me, Bobby and Tonkov. There is talk of maybe another one happening soon in St Petersburg… I don’t know actually and I would want to be someone spreading rumours but it still takes a lot of money to make a GP happen. I hope there will be one soon and I know it will be a nice race with a lot of people again. Residing in Barcelona I felt duty bound to inform Seva that if he ever came to Catalunya (and there was talk of resurrecting the Grand Prix at Bellpuig only last year) then in Catalan his shortened name would translate directly to the word ‘onion’. He smiles. It would seem that in the soon-to-be twenty one year old’s case then there are just a few layers to peel back before real Grand Prix stardom hits.
W H AT YO U S E E I S W H AT YOU CONQUER NO SHORTCUTS It’s not just what you see the moment you need to be at your best, it’s that you were passionate enough to spend years of moments chewing up dirt to get there.
SCOTT-SPORTS.COM © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2016 | Photo: Stanley Leroux
CLEMENT DESALLE
Products
scott sports As if the bicycles, outdoor wear (the trainers are great), goggles, riding kit and mountain of accessories (check out the trick layer wear for under helmets) were not enough on www.scottsports.com then the company also have some appealing casualwear. Here is our selection of t-shirts (all 100% cotton and come in usually three, sometimes two, different colour options) for both men and women. The ‘L’ comes up a little short (I’m 5ft 11) but the material and feel of the garment as well as the printing is typical Scott quality. For European users make sure you select the appropriate territory through the website to have full access to the product range.
AMA-MX
glen helen national
glen helen, ca 路 may 28th 路 Rnd 2 of 12
450MX winner: Ryan Dungey, KTM 250MX winner: Alex Martin, Yamaha
ama mx Glen helen
By Steve Matthes Photos by Simon Cudby
A busy weekend at Glen Helen with Ryan Dungey taking a first ‘outdoor’ win of the year thanks to a blown fork for Ken Roczen, Yamaha ruling 205MX and a track that courted a fair degree of criticism. Steve Matthes was in the thick of the Californian sunshine
dungey stokes roczen duel
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wo rounds into the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships over here in America and things are getting spicy! We’ve a few answers after four motos in the 250MX and 450MX classes but there are still plenty of questions with ten rounds to go. Round two was held at Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California a track that’s known for its signature hills, mega-fast start straight and 45-degree banked first turn. New this year was a supercross rhythm section that frustrated many riders and a huge 160-foot plus step-up triple that saw the racers hitting it as fast as 74 miles per hour. And after it was all said and done, no rider I spoke to nor any rider at the press conferences had nice things to say about the additions to the track. It got rough, rutty and adding in some high-speed precision jumps weren’t anyone’s cup of tea. Long after said press conference, over by his motorhome the RCH Suzuki rider Kenny Roczen tried to keep a smile on about his day that would’ve kept his moto streak at four wins but for a mechanical on his RMZ 450. “For my heart I went 1-1. I was super pissed, but there’s nothing I could do. I’m just going to keep on winning and put it out of my head,” said Roczen about his air fork losing, well, air and costing him the first moto win “ Obviously I’m riding out there and I’m doing the best I can. In my heart I went 1-1, and that’s really all that matters. Obviously those points right now, they’re gone, but we’ll get them back.” Roczen had ridden a superb race behind Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey in the first moto trailing him around the course for twenty minutes or so before making a move and sprinting off for a lead of, at times, six seconds or more. There were only three laps left when Roczen’s fork went kaput and he was able to salvage a fourth by basically rolling all the jumps.
But about that first moto clinic… “I was behind him (Dungey) and actually I messed up a section once. I could always reel him in pretty quick so I was pretty confident in passing him. I was just trying to check out lines. I was just waiting really for the right moment where I say, okay, now! Instead of trying the entire time I just kind of followed a little bit and go left and right.” “And then I said, okay, now. I scrubbed a few jumps and this and that. I made something happen real quick and then I don’t know what happened to him. He kind of let off. I don’t really know.” It was a masterful performance ruined by a rare DNF and just to show everyone what kind of day it could have been for the German, he grabbed the holeshot second moto, led every lap and took the win for a 4-1 day and second overall.
ama mx Glen helen
ama mx Glen helen
As far as Dungey was concerned, he took victory and seemed to realize that he caught a break. “The day was pretty good overall. It’s always positive in the grand scheme of things in the championship to gain ground and get an overall [win]. Ken [Roczen] had a bike issue so we were gifted a little bit, but we’ll take it and keep building,” said Dungey. “[Ken] is riding really well right now, but so are we. I feel like we’re where we want to be. We’ve been in this position before and while I wouldn’t say we’re behind the ball, we need to make some adjustments and get better. It’s just little bits [of improvement] and in the end we’ll get to that point where [Roczen’s] at, getting the holeshot, leading, and getting wins.”
Third overall for Tomac via 3-3 scores and another sombre mood in the press conference for the rider many picked to be the 450MX champion. It’s far from over but right now he’s not in the same league as Roczen and Dungey. Anderson was looking good to go 2-3 on the day but around halfway and just after he got Honda’s Trey Canard he had a huge swap that he saved but seemed to take the wind right out of his sails. Canard got him back as did Tomac but fourth overall on the day wasn’t too shabby for the #21. Canard got the holeshot in moto one but tipped over early. He still had a nice day for 7-4 and fifth overall. In the 250’s it was Star Yamaha completing a podium sweep with Alex Martin taking his first career overall national win via 2-2 scores. His brother Jeremy Martin took second with a 4-1 and Cooper Webb 1-4. Great day for the team and the Yamaha small bikes definitely seemed to have a little bit extra up the long hills from the other machines.
Another frustrating day for Monster Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac who didn’t get the starts he needed and in the first moto was again passed late on by Rockstar Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson and bumped to third (both riders had gotten Roczen when his fork went). This wasn’t supposed to happen to the ultra-fit Tomac who had started last season’s outdoors so well. In the second moto he got his customary poor start and rode well to get to third (passing Anderson in the process) but the top two were nothing but a cloud of dust.
“I definitely I don’t feel like I’m the typical story of how to win an outdoor national. I’ve been around for six years now and I really had some bad years” said Alex afterwards about his win. “Supercross was really bad this year. But we had such a long break with west coast going off. After Dallas we have like three months to get ready for outdoors. So I made some big changes with the trainer. I started working with Gareth Swanepoel.” What Alex is referring to is he was working with his brother Jeremy’s old trainer Johnny O’Mara (J Mart and O’Mara broke up, something that is not uncommon over here) and just doing whatever little brother was doing. I mean, hey, Jeremy’s only the two-time 250MX champion so why not right?
Well, that program left Alex feeling a little drained and at a loss of energy so switching it up a bit, getting into the weights a little more over the cardio has done wonders for the short statured rider everyone calls “Big Al”. Alex Martin led the first moto almost start to finish and Webb only got by with about three laps remaining. As he alluded to, Alex’s been a Pro for a long time now and started really riding well last year. It’s a remarkable story in our sport to see a veteran step up his game so much. Alex is showing everyone that he’s breaking the mould. Jeremy’s going for three in a row and although we’re sure he wanted to win, there’s also no doubt that he’s very happy at the man who beat him. “We’re only at the second round. But a lot of people, with me being the two-time champ, expect me to win. I think if you look there’s not a lot of guys that have successfully been able to go three for three in a row,” said Jeremy Martin afterwards “I don’t have to say it. We all know it’s the goal. But I think the competition’s really stepped it up this year. It’s made my job tougher. I was sick at Hangtown and I took all this last week off to get better, to try to get it out. It’s still in me a little bit so hopefully we can get it out.” The two brothers going 1-2 at a National was the first time since the mid-70’s when the Jones brothers did it so this was a pretty rare feat. And for his part Jeremy wanted the spotlight on Alex for once. “Alex is the man today. We don’t need to celebrate me. I’m expected to do this. I think a lot of people should give the attention to Alex. He deserved it today.” Yes he did Jeremy, yes he did. Great story developing over there as the Martin with the red plate is not the Martin anyone expected.
ama mx Glen helen
A 2-5 for Jason Anderson keeps him in touching distance of the leaders. “I was up front both practices and qualified third overall so my weekend was pretty good for the most part,� he said
ama mx Glen helen
clasSification & ama championship 450mx Overall result
250mx Overall result
Riders
Riders
1
Ryan Dungey, USA
2 Ken Roczen, GER 3
Eli Tomac, USA
4 Jason Anderson, USA 5
Trey Canard, USA
KTM Suzuki Kawasaki Husqvarna Honda
450mx standings after 2 of 12 rounds Riders 1
1
Alex Martin, USA
Yamaha
2 Jeremy Martin, USA
Yamaha
3
Yamaha
Cooper Webb, USA
4 Austin Forkner, USA 5
Aaron Plessinger, USA
Kawasaki Yamaha
250mx standings after 2 of 12 rounds Points
Riders
Points
93
1
2 Ryan Dungey
91
2 Cooper Webb
77
3
76
3
76
4 Jason Anderson
73
4 Jeremy Martin
75
5
62
5
63
Ken Roczen Eli Tomac Trey Canard
Alex Martin Joey Savatgy Aaron Plessinger
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AMA BLOG
Canvassing... By Steve Matthes
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ome news and notes from the hills of Helen:
-Ok, fine I guess I’ll have to re-adjust some of my thinking about Ken Roczen. See, it’s a fact he broke up from trainer Aldon Baker at the beginning of last year and it’s a fact that he hasn’t won a title since. We’ve seen him win plenty of races but he’s gotten injured here and there and just hasn’t been able to make it happen. But these four motos to start the year have led me from being on the fence about Kenny’s decision to now believing that it was the right one for him. Along with the facts I just wrote above it’s also a proven ‘given’ that Baker’s riders win titles. Over and over and over and over again. Roczen’s heard all this talk, he’s listened to all the buzz about what a bad decision he made and truthfully, to me anyways, he hasn’t done everything he’s needed to do to make that talk go away. Until now. His crushing of the first motos this summer (granted it hasn’t been as hot as usual to start the series) shows me that he’s in shape and he’s serious about winning this 450MX crown. There are multiple ways to train but for some reason Baker’s way is golden and riders yearn to be a part of it. Roczen’s showing early on that he’s fit, fast and ready to go. What did the riders think about Glen Helen?: “I would just say that they needed to get rid of that big triple jump in the back. You’re going so fast, we were all getting head shake going down the straightaway and then up the face.”- Jeremy Martin “I couldn’t believe how rough it was. It was mentally tiring. You just come around and you’re like, another lap? Come on, give me the two lap
card. It was tough. It was really, really taxing out there. I’m happy to get out of it healthy.”- Cole Seely “The track scared me all day, honestly. But I’m probably not the one to ask about that. I think it’s good because it’s progressive. I think the fans like it. It was a great crowd today. I wish they would rip it a little deeper to slow down the speeds, but if they’re going to build those massive jumps like the triple up-step, you’ve got to make a wider landing. A little bit of angle on the take-off makes a big difference when you’re going 100+ feet. So I think they need to be a little more safety-minded if they’re going to build stuff that big. But it’s cool to watch. Scary for me.”- Andrew Short “Glen Helen’s always tough. With the dirt and the soil here, big jumps aren’t really a good combo for I would say a national, just because it gets so rutted out and edgy that it’s kind of sketchy. Just seeing that video of that guy crashing just makes me melt, dude. That thing’s unnecessary to me. But hopefully the next couple races they mellow some of the jumps out and don’t get too crazy.”- Broc Tickle “What if a chain breaks or whatever? Anything can happen. It can be mechanical error or rider error, who knows. But it is what it is. Just to get out of here safe. In practice I wanted to ghost ride my bike off one of the catapult jumps they built out there. It was like a quarter of the track was an arenacross track.”- Phil Nicoletti “I’m just being honest here. You could probably pay me to come here and practice and I won’t go. And usually for the races they rip it super deep, not today. It was super-hard and sketchy and rough and really weird. They didn’t really rip it too deep.”- Ken Roczen
And reportedly Ryan Dungey said the track was a little “ridiculous” at the press conference. And everyone in this list save for Short placed in the top ten! I agree that jumps like the one back triple step-up don’t belong on a motocross track as well as a ridiculous supercross style rhythm section that was sandy. There’s enough at Glen Helen already to make it a spectacular track without the sideshow options. Don’t worry everyone reading this from Europe, you’ll see it when you come here for the 2017 Motocross of Nations [or the final MXGP of 2016? Ed] -Bit of silly season news here I broke last week with Honda’s Trey Canard taking his services over to Red Bull KTM next year alongside Dungey and Marvin Musquin. Most of us had Canard going green alongside Eli Tomac for next year with Ken Roczen moving over to Honda and the red riders choosing to keep Cole Seely as the second guy but things have changed. Canard hasn’t had a great 2016 season but there have been flashes of his usual speed and he’s a solid professional for any team out there. KTM now has three world class riders in the 450MX class and word is they might even have a fourth rider. - A couple of riders off to slow starts in the nationals in each class are Adam Cianciarulo of the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team and Auto Trader JGR Yamaha’s Justin Barcia. Adam’s had a ton of injuries and his ‘can’t miss’ status is also long gone but most of us thought that since he’s been working pretty hard in outdoors for a while that he would come in pretty good right off the bat. Through four motos he’s yet to crack the top ten but to be fair he also hasn’t had great starts. In the 450’s Barcia won motos against Dungey last year but he’s yet to get up there and be in the fight. Unlike Cian-
ciarulo though, he’s gotten some good starts but gone backwards afterwards. It’s too early to make a judgment on either rider but there’s no doubt the riders themselves and their teams thought it would go a bit better than this.
Products
leatt It’s warming up outside and while not quite into the depths of summer it is still timely to look at some first class hydration options from Leatt that cater from race to trail to mountain bike users and range from add-ons for the award-winning neck brace to usable luggage. For neck-brace wearing motocrossers the Hydration Ultra 750 HF is a hands free system that the South Africans claim: ‘Easily strapped directly onto the rear thoracic strut of any Leatt neck brace, giving a well balanced fit. This enables the rider to combine neck protection and a hydration system in a very flexible way.’ It contains 750ml capacity with a heat reflective panel and tunnels for routing of the tube to the right or the left. It fits any brace from 2005 onwards with the single strut construction and costs 70 dollars. The Chest Protector 4.5 Hydra is another hybrid offering between two sterling products as several of MXGP’s top athletes already sing the praises of the CE certified protection from Leatt. Incorporating the hydration sack Leatt state: ‘The backpack harness system help keep the full backpack from bouncing around, or slamming into, your back while riding. The backpack itself features our top of the line CleanTech 3 litre bladder, with quick detach hose, and rests in an insulated compartment. It also has pockets and compartment for virtually anything you need for a long ride. Great front vented is coupled with ribbed AirLine air channels and mesh to help keep you cool on even the hottest of days.’ It is priced at 220 dollars. Lastly a light option is the GPX Race HF 2.0 which is aimed at a casual ride or even a sortie on mountain bike. ‘The unique chest harness ensures a very solid fit making the waist strap obsolete,’ Leatt say. ‘The bag bouncing around on your back is now the past. Includes heat resistant encapsulated bladder pocket.’ The GPX is 80 dollars. All can be found on Leatt’s vast website: www. leatt.com
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By Adam Wheeler Photos by JP Acevedo
‘RiGHt HanD’ Man
we met Jose luIs martInez at marc marquez’s allIanz motorcamp for kIds towards the end of 2015 and after the former natIonal motocross champIon had completed hIs fIrst year helpIng the motogp star both on and off the track. we sat down wIth Jose at Jerez recently to ask a bIt more about what lIfe Is lIke wIth marc away from the fuss of motogp
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joSe luiS MArtinez & MArc MArquez
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hese days it feels like it is as easy to see Marc Marquez gunning a motocross or dirt track bike just as much as a RCV in his day job. The 23 year old has seemingly increased his fascination with the soil in the past two years and that could be from his friendship with ex-Spanish motocross champion Jose Luis Martinez. We spoke with the former racer at the junior motorcamp that Marc ran through the Allianz group at Rufea at the end of last year and have since seen him a lot at MotoGP tests and races. Jose Luis runs his own (and popular it would seem) motocross schools and for the last two years has filled an official role as part of Marquez’s small team. Falling somewhere between the roles of a coach, companion, trainer and advisor; the thirty-one year old is also an immensely friendly and open individual. A shoulder injury robbed Martinez of his chance to rise from domestic potential to international recognition (he made some Grand Prix appearances in the old MX3 category) and his roots in motocross mean that the fast and busy life in MotoGP can still take some getting used to. Asking Jose Luis to go into much detail about what makes ‘93’ tick would involve some personal and delicate information – at least on the record – but it was always curious to grab moments of conversation about what the pair had been up to and some of the stories he has. Through a ridiculously delayed flight the Monday after Mugello (all travellers; beware of the organisational uselessness of Vueling Airlines) it was fascinating standing with Jose Luis and watching people walk in and around the airport and charting their reactions to the sight of
Marquez sitting and waiting with the rest of us; cue handshakes, photos, autographs, speechlessness and hugs. The life of a celebrity and Martinez is still taking it all in. A formal request for an interview was granted with the rider that still likes to run the number ’20’ and so we sat down for a chat about the unique position he finds himself alongside one of motorsport’s exceptional figures… Has your job changed much from 2015 when maybe Marc wanted to review his riding style and make some alterations? Did you figure in that process? In 2013 and 2014 everything went well and then it turned in 2015 and it was an experience that Marc had to learn from. There was one crash then two then another and he had to learn when he had to back off. He’s learned that if a win is not there then he has to accept second or third because he wants a championship, lots of championships. It is something that he’s worked out for himself, he certainly didn’t need anyone saying “hey, you need to do that…” But in terms of what he was doing on the bike was there any kind of analysis or breakdown of what was going on…? Yes, but just the same as any other rider and especially because bikes or things around them change each season and they have to adapt. You have to be flexible and I think you hear Jorge and Valentino saying this quite a lot in interviews about how they make subtle changes each year either in the way they brake or the position on the bike. They change chassis, tyres, electronics and it affects behaviour and the rider has to deal with that.
jose luis martinez & marc marquez
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“I think Marc’s toughest challenge would be sand because he has never tried it; the type of stuff you get in Holland and Belgium. But he really wants to! With the calendar it is difficult…but I tell him that all the top MXGP guys live and train in northern Europe and he’s very curious to try the tracks. I think it will be hard for him because his weakest point was coping with all the bumps and holes but he has improved a lot...”
jose luis martinez & marc marquez
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Marc has a very expressive and almost ‘radical’ style…did you talk about it? To be honest we don’t go ‘into’ MotoGP that much because for riders at his level a Grand Prix lasts a week! From the moment they leave home until a day or two after the race they have their heads jammed with stuff: information from the mechanics, dealing with what goes on the track, the pressure. When we leave the track we don’t talk much about it and I don’t ask much because I used to be a rider and I know once you head home then you almost want to leave it behind. Personally if it was a subject that I brought up then that’s fine but if I’m talking about riding or racing all day then I just get fed-up. So I let him be…but there tends to be a lot of talk about motocross, supercross things like that. What about that line between friendship and business then? I like the question because I was thinking about this recently. He came and helped me out at a motocross race and I thought ‘we’re doing this quite well’ because we know when to separate work – MotoGP and the preparation – and life. We have a friendship with mutual respect and hardly any disagreement. The weekend before Jerez I had a race and he wanted to clean my lid and prepare the goggles and was getting angry when I told him not to worry! When we come to MotoGP it is totally the other way around. As I always say: he is a normal guy and it is quite easy to see. Having a multi MotoGP world champion cleaning your motocross race gear must feel a bit weird…! Yeah, of course! It is strange but you get used to things. I consider Marc as a friend. When you see him cleaning the helmet you don’t think anything of it. It’s only when you get
home and think ‘wow, Marc Marquez, world champion was doing that…’ Marc has his feet on the ground. I’m sure many in his position wouldn’t be there helping but it did it happily and was around the track making videos, giving advice and almost lost his voice through shouting during the race. I like seeing him like that. Can he give you any advice when it comes to MX? For a couple of years he couldn’t but these days he can because, honestly, he goes very quickly. We are almost the same for speed. It doesn’t seem true but it is…
Is that bad for you or good for him?! I think it is better for him…and obviously bad for me but it means I have to push more! It’s fun. Once the [MotoGP] season starts I keep training on my free days and he obviously does less but in the off-season he always wants to ride more. His strong point on a dirt bike is speed on a flat turn – dirt-track style – and it is impossible to beat him. I’ll put my hand in the fire and say that he is quicker than anybody in Europe or the U.S. on those types of corners; the feeling he has with the gas and the balance is incredible. Of course when there are ruts and berms I try to make the difference…otherwise – wow – really difficult.
jose luis martinez & marc marquez
So a rougher track is going to be tricky… I think his toughest challenge would be sand because he has never tried it; the type of stuff you get in Holland and Belgium. But he really wants to! With the calendar it is difficult…but I tell him that all the top MXGP guys live and train in northern Europe and he’s very curious to try the tracks. He wants to go for a week and ride as many places as he can. I think it will be hard for him because his weakest point was coping with all the bumps and holes but he has improved a lot.
changed a lot. From the first day that I met him until now I’ve seen a big change. He knows to maybe leave a gap and that it’s only training and he has to have his head on the following week and the job in hand. Before there used to be quite a few crashes losing the front end in corners but now he doesn’t crash so much. I crash more because he puts me under pressure!
Because his track there in Rufea is normally very well-graded… Yeah, it’s flat! When there are races then it cuts up but for training it is well prepared. We also go to tracks like Pons and La Clua that has finer soil…and where I can put a bit more pressure on him! It seems like he’s been riding more motocross than ever…or it is just more social media material…? Well, it could be my influence but I think it’s true that he was doing less five years ago and now he just wants to ride more and more. Which is also a problem because the better he gets the more he wants and we all know that while you can fall off a bicycle and get injured motocross is much more risky. He knows that during the season he cannot really do it and we focus on other things but as soon as the season is over he is out there. Do you sometimes have your head in your hands watching him thinking ‘what are you doing?!’ Sometimes! It’s normal that when a rider puts the helmet on he wants to go for it and lose a second from the lap-time or do a bit better than you. I think in this respect though he has
Going back to that interchange of information is there much help you can give at MotoGP? I’m normally in the box at Grands Prix but I get out at the tests and learn a lot from Emilia Alzamora [Marquez’s manager] about watching other riders, the apexes and lines they are making, what happened in the wet at a certain track last season. This year I’ve been able to chip in a bit and it might just go in one ear and out the other but he’s interested in what I have to say. At the tests you can see a lot and what the other bikes and riders are doing and can get some information.
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At MotoGP I guess there are layers to go through: he has Emilio, the mechanics, management… Of course. When he gets off the bike then there is a process. When we speak then it is later in the motorhome or somewhere quiet. Has your friendship evolved? Yeah, just through the passage of time together. We’ll train, bicycle ride or do motocross but then we also have all the days around a Grand Prix sometimes we’ll share a room in the hotels. Because there is a good level of respect we get on well and he can trust me. He knows just by looking at my face if I’m angry or something is wrong. How do you feel now being part of MotoGP and this world? I’m happy…and also because of the people in the team. The mechanics and everyone around him give that family feeling and there are mechanics there that have been with him since
he started in 125s and then through Moto2. I get on well with them and I like the group. All of them are professionals but out of the box there are a lot of laughs and trust. You are a lot of time together and away from home. I do it because of the relationship and work with Marc; I couldn’t imagine doing it for anyone else. I have a girlfriend – Nuria – and it is thanks to her and her family that I met Marc. Luckily her family know bikes and the racing world well so it is easier for her to accept the job and the demands. She knew Marc and Alex from when they were very small; she’s known them longer than me and sometimes in the off-season when there is more breaks or holiday time we’ll get together for dinners or go to the mountains. How does Marc keep dealing with the level of intensity and pressure? I think it is difficult. Seeing it from the outside I think generally life is not so easy for riders at this level. We mustn’t forget that they are
jose luis martinez & marc marquez
here to race – that’s their job – and there is a lot of pressure with that: what’s happening on the track, the dealings with mechanics, if the bike has a problem how do the fix it and how to keep on improving themselves. Behind that you have the fans, all the photos, autographs. They sometimes go as hard off the track as they do on it and I think the fans have to respect the riders for that. They have some intense days and by the evening they can be totally finished.
When we talked at Marc’s Allianz Motorcamp for kids you mentioning about racing again… any more thoughts? Ha! I looked at the calendar and there isn’t one race that fits or gives me sufficient time to train for. I did one race in the Catalan championship – which is the one Marc came to as well – and it went OK. I needed to train more and lost three weeks because we were in Argentina and the United States. I was fifth overall…but had the fastest lap! I missed some endurance but had the speed: that was Marc’s verdict! Even though I’m retired I still need to change my way of thinking and that a race is fun and I shouldn’t worry about the result. I was close to the podium and a bit angry that I didn’t make it but you have to accept that… and deal with things like the lack of training and the bike was three months old and with only ten hours on it.
Was finding support – even for basic things like kit and gear – easy because of the job with Marc? Well, when we train and ride together then I benefit from the same relationships he has so Alpinestars and Oakley product and things that were hard to find in the last years that I was racing, if I’m honest. With Francis Auscio??? [Spanish dealer and EMX and MX2 team owner] I’ve always had a good relationship; he is like my father in motocross! Thanks to him we always raced very clean, presentable and with the best material. I know if I were to race again then a call to him would mean that I don’t have to worry about the bike, the gear or anything. He’s a great person and I’m happy that he is pushing hard now on the world stage after many years as a national team. Lastly what is the example of a typical week away from MotoGP for you and Marc… There is normally some type of event! Some promotion. We make plans to meet up and that might be for dirt-track, the gym or maybe a bicycle ride. I go with him almost all the time but because Alex [Marquez] is there as well I can also take a free day now and again. The reality is that I am there pretty much all the time because I also enjoy the activities. I can ride bicycle near my house but I go with them because I like it. We train well – dedicated to the physical side is a trainer called Innes who is from Cevera [Marquez’s home town] - and we always try to do something. His job is to race but he is also an athlete and he cannot stop. He also does this stuff because he wants to…it is not really an obligation. The promotion events on the other hand can be close and normally in Spain but there are some that are further away like Indonesia or Japan and that changes thing. We try to take the weekends off; it’s normal. He’s a young guy and wants to hang out with friends and go to dinner though with the schedule he has it is very hard to have a fixed routine and he likes to change things.
sBk
AceRBiS UK ROUnD
DOninGtOn pARK · MAy 28-29 · RnD 7 of 13
Race one winner: tom Sykes, Kawasaki Race two winner: tom Sykes, Kawasaki
the hateful eIght? not much chance. tom sykes’ love affaIr wIth donIngton park Is star-crossed and the kawasakI rIder contInued hIs undefeated run around the englIsh course to go eIght In a row and four years wIthout serIous rIval
oUt sYKeD
Blogs by Graeme Brown Photos by Kawasaki/GeeBee/Ducati Corse/ Honda/Milagro
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After a first race win in Malaysia Sykes must have been rubbing his hands with Donington coming around next on the schedule. The 2013 champ had to work for the win at times but ended up with a third triumph from the last four and is the most ‘in-form’ rider at this stage of the season. Chaz Davies (bottom left) escaped the Ducati flamer with eyebrows intact
sbk gbr
Hayden was a popular draw at Donington and American ranks were boosted by Cameron Beaubier filling in for Sylvain Guintoli and taking a top ten finish on the M1 despite less than three hours on the bike
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SBK
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heroes on two wheels... By Graeme Brown
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nother WorldSBK weekend, another Kawasaki domination. Tom Sykes carried on his phenomenal record of wins at Donington Park, which now stands at eight in a row. That equaled Carl Forgarty’s World Superbike record of eight successive wins at Assen. Jonathan Rea continued his 100% record of podium finishes in 2016 to extend his championship lead. All this on a machine that both riders say they are struggling with. With Sykes’ place on the team still not confirmed for next year I am sure there is now an orderly queue of riders forming who would like to ‘struggle’ on the ZX-10R. Sykes is still pointing out that the 2015 machine didn’t suit his riding style and only now is this new bike approaching something he is comfortable with. Rea on the other hand is heading in the other direction having been entirely comfortable last year, this season each race bring a series of challenges that makes him work hard for his results. This weekend it was gearshift and electronics that hampered him but nonetheless both rider and machine are in a place right now where a third place finish is disappointing. Rea’s crew chief Pere Riba was particularly downcast at the end of each race. He clearly felt JR should have won both outings without belittling Sykes achievement. It means that the Kawasaki pairing are now one and two in the Championship after Chaz Davies tipped off on Saturday and could only take third on Sunday. We are past the halfway
point in the season and once he had mellowed a bit, Riba acknowledged that his man is in a strong position now that the races will start to run out for his rivals to catch and overhaul him. I am still impressed by Nicky Hayden this year. I photographed a Q&A that Honda hosted on Sunday morning and his passion for racing and the desire to win seems as strong now as it was when he became the youngest AMA Superbike Champion in 2002 at the age of 21. I am sure when he gets his hands on the 2017 CBR1000RR that desire, passion and experience will help him towards the goal he spoke about on Sunday of becoming the first rider to win both MotoGP and WorldSBK championships. The ‘Big Balls’ award for the weekend could have gone to Davies for allegedly trying to save the engine on his Ducati, instead getting off as fast as he could, as it very quickly barbequed itself. However, it has to go to Alex Lowes. Two weeks ago he broke his collarbone at Sepang. Last week he had surgery to repair it. On Friday he was declared fit to ride and posted the fourth fastest time at the end of the day. In the evening his shoulder and upper arm were swollen and incredibly stiff but he was still determined to ride and took to the track during FP3 on Saturday morning. The pain and decreased mobility proved too much, however, and it was decided that he wouldn’t race.
It takes a special kind of determination and fortitude that motorcycle racers seem to possess that when they are knocked down their only instinct is to get straight back up and get back racing. It must be a two-wheel thing as in my other favoured sport, cycling, I see the same thing happen. This weekend saw the conclusion of the Giro d’Italia. The three week race was being led by Dutch rider Steven Kruijswijk until he crashed into a snow bank on the descent from a mountain pass. He raced on to try and maintain his lead. He contested the next two days as well, with fractured ribs! Ultimately it was in vain, he finished fourth, but I don’t think anyone can fail to be in awe of any sportsman or woman who will not be defeated by injury and can still perform at the highest level. For that Messrs Lowes and Kruijswijk, this weekend I salute you.
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into tHe WilD! Words & pics by Steve English
whIle It’s easy to be overawed on your fIrst trIp to the Isle of man tt It’s Important to lean on the help and eXperIence of those around. the tt Is a magIcal eXperIence and thIs group of four offer a glImpse Into a day In the lIfe a tt fan
www.iomtt.com
2016 iSle of MAn tt
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T
he wind hits you first, it might be the middle of summer but this is also the middle of the Irish Sea, and as you walk across the runway the sights, smells and sounds of the Isle of Man TT greet you immediately. You’re on The Rock and you’re ready for the greatest show in the world but you also know that you’re completely unprepared for your first TT experience. Thankfully you’re just a quarter of a group that have flown out during the middle Saturday of the TT and it’s the first day of racing. You’re here for race week and you’re ready for anything but have no idea of what to expect. However like any first time visitor you can rely on the experience of friends to guide you. Luckily the rest of your group is a perfect blend of TT patrons. There’s John who gets off the plane with the familiar war cry of a man away from his wife for a week. With a Celtic lilt he sings, “Pints, pints, pints, pints in my mouth, pints in my hand and pints on my clothes!” John is at the TT solely for seven days away with his friends and an excuse to let loose. Pete comes as a veteran race fan and just excited to see bikes on track. Sitting on the plane he says, “I’ve never been to the TT before but I’m excited to be going! Should be a good trip and something different.” Pete is ticking an item off his bucket list and looking to get an authentic TT experience. He wants to sit on a grass bank with his sandwiches and wait to be thrilled and terrified in equal measures and enjoy a week’s holiday on the island. Every group has a tour guide and Tommy fits the role to perfection. As a grizzled road racing veteran and previ-
ous visitor to the TT he knows the ins-and-outs and where to go. Tommy has been coming to the island since he was a boy and knows every inch of the fabled 37 and three quarter miles mountain course. This is your first TT but after years of attending various races it’s an event that had to be done. Whether it’s Formula 1, MotoGP, Sportscars or Road Racing there are certain events that need to be sample at least once. The TT offers something unique and is a rare event that has transcended motorcycle sport. When people talk of the island they speak in hushed tones of reverence and rightly so. The week should be something to savour but first off the bat we need to get out of the airport. John and Tommy immediately set off in search of methods of escape. For John it’s to find a pub in the airport but for Tommy it’s the rental car desk. Both came back satisfied. A six pack of Carlsburg and a hatchback have left both feeling good and ready for what lies ahead. Like all visitors the first port of call when getting to the Isle of Man during TT week is to complete a lap of the course. “Unbelievable isn’t it,” Pete says to the rest of the car as we make our way through the town of Kirk Michael and towards Sulby. John agrees but the rest of us weren’t quite sure if John was talking to his bag of cans or agreeing with Pete. Tommy offers a guide of the track and tells his carload what gear and speed the bikes would be going through each section once racing began later that day with the first Superbike race.
2016 isle of man tt
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2016 isle of man tt
“There’s nothing quite like seeing a snarling, snaking, 200mph missile coming towards you with walls, telegraph poles and street furniture in close company. The riders have nowhere to hide and go full steam ahead. Seeing the whites of the rider’s eyes and feeling the air as it rushes past you is an incredible buzz...”
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There’s nothing quite like seeing a snarling, snaking, 200mph missile coming towards you with walls, telegraph poles and street furniture in close company. The riders have nowhere to hide and go full steam ahead. Seeing the whites of the rider’s eyes and feeling the air as it rushes past you is an incredible buzz and while Tommy is an old hand for a first taste of the TT the vibe that it generates is immense. Even for the greatest riders in the world the conception of standing roadside at the TT is something they rave about for years afterwards.
“The TT is something very special,” Valentino Rossi has said. “It is the greatest event in the year for all motorcycle fans. I consider it to be very, very dangerous but when I went to the Isle of Man I was able to do a lap and it’s a great track. Is very dangerous but something special.” With the GOAT having signed off on his thoughts of the course Tommy was keen to rattle off quotes from other superstars of the sport with Nicky Hayden, one of the few men to win races in both MotoGP and WorldSBK, having said, “I’ve been there, had a lap and it’s a fantastic event. Growing up I’d only heard about it and didn’t know a lot about it but I met John McGuinness and I like his style on the bike. He’s a really talented guy. I like watching him, how smooth and consistent he is.”
One of the best places to see just how smooth McGuiness is comes at Glen Helen. During the opening Superbike race of the week, a six lap extravaganza, Tommy leads the charge to this zone of the track. It gives the group an opportunity to try and move around to experience plenty of different aspects of the route. With six laps you have the chance to move from one section to the next in Glen Helen and it makes for an ideal vantage point. There’s a large car park we can use and the section of the track sees fast sweeping corners, tighter turns where the riders flick their knee beside a grass bank and then at Glen Helen the riders brake and downshift into a slow corner. While the pub that was at Glen Helen in now closed the sunshine and grass banks offer John the chance to enjoy a beer or three while watching the bikes. He was more than pleased for us to stay there to say the least! The Superbike sprint was an amazing frenzy of activity and for two hours the group moved from one section to another to see a variety of action. The fast riders coming through this section understand how you need to learn the entire segment one corner at a time and then blend each together to form a complete lap. With manhole covers, road cambers and plenty more to learn it’s a real challenge.
2016 isle of man tt After the Superbike race the sidecars take to the track for their first race and while ‘the chairs’ are as popular as they once were the sight of two men riding in perfect unison is poetry in motion for any fan. To close the opening day the TT Zero bikes are out for a one lap practice session. The electric bikes class was initially used to showcase the latest technology but while seen originally as a sideshow it is now a genuinely exciting race. With the bikes almost certain to break the 120mph lap barrier this year it shows how quickly they have evolved since 2010 when Mark Miller was victorious with a 95mph lap. The status of the class has grown massively and with laptimes now a match for the Supertwins it shows their progress. For Pete the shock of the TT Zero race was just how quiet it was. With no engine noise you have no idea when a bike will appear, “Jeez...I nearly missed McGuiness and Anstey coming around because those bikes are so quiet! Something else to see them though! Once the roads reopen we’ve gotta get down to the paddock and have a look at those bikes.” Tommy immediately interjected that one of the big advantages of the TT, and road racing in general, is that you can get into the paddock to look around and speak to the riders. The TT paddock is at the Grandstand and with the merchandise stands you get an opportunity to buy some t-shirts and hoodies. During the day these purchases are part of a long term plan for Pete to mark his first TT experience but by the evening they become a necessity because once the sun sets the temperature can drop drastically and it’s important to be layered up! “You won’t get frostbite,” joked Tommy. “But it can be fairly close!”
Down in the paddock you can bump into anyone. Whether it’s the riders or mechanics or even a MotoGP racer it’s possible that anyone shows up. With Isle of Man resident, and self confessed TT junkie, Cal Crutchlow taking in the scene the group chatted to the former World Supersport champion about why he loves the TT. “I love the TT and it’s one of my biggest passions in racing,” said Crutchlow. “What they do is incredible and the way that they ride is incredible. I love being on the island for the build-up of the TT because it’s such a spectacular event and I always think that it’s a bucket list thing for any motorcycle racing fan to do. Crutchlow came close to being one of the few short circuit riders to race on the roads when he was younger with the lure of the Northwest 200 almost enough for the Englishman. Ultimately it was something that didn’t materialise but it’s definitely something that would have been special for him. Speaking to other riders the danger is clearly the main factor in their decision not to compete but Josh Brookes explained that for him at least the danger wasn’t the deciding factor.
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“I loved racing the roads,” said Brookes. “There’s no better buzz and it’s something amazing. You’re very aware of the danger when you drive the track or before the start of a race but once you pull the visor down and set off for the start you don’t notice it. It’s just you and your bike and I’ve been riding bikes all my life. It’s the most natural thing in the world for me to ride a bike and I love it. When I’m on track at the TT I don’t think about the danger or the risks I just think about riding. It’s only once you come back into the pits after the race and everyone makes a big deal that you’ve come back from it that the emotion of the TT starts to build in you. I found that reaction much harder to deal with than my own fears of racing the TT.” The group was hanging on every word from Brookes as he explained the process of getting ready to race the TT and the level of practice and attention that you need to do to understand the track and the conditions. One mistake can end it all for you and that’s why every single rider in the TT deserves your respect. With the first day in the books it was time to hit the town and see what Douglas had to offer. The sticky beer stained floor of the beer tent was the first point of call and with, what seemed, half the town in the tent it was a heaving big top filled with energy. Tour guide Tommy offered one last piece of advice for the night to the group as they set out in conquest of the local Manx population, “If anyone asks your name is Trev and you’re from Ramsey!” Day one down....six more to go.
2016 iSle of MAn tt
WHeRe to WatCH... Gorse Lea Around 7 miles out from the start, Gorse Lea in an exhilarating place to watch from. You can sit on the hedge as the riders scream past only a few feet away before they peel into the right hand corner and out of site and onto Ballacraine. A great place with superb facilities at the farm owned by Harold Leece. I’ll be heading there for the first time this year. K-Tree Just outside of Ramsey, the K-Tree (aka Lezayre Church or the Conkerfields) has become very popular in recent years and with good reason. The riders come into view from the Glentrammon sections. They have to straighten the left hand corner as best as they can as it’s negotiated on the back wheel. Some of the most spectacular slow motion footage from the last few years has been filmed here. Barregarrow The corner at the top of Barregarrow is a fast left-hander past the church with spectators sat only feet away. On the exit of the corner the front goes light as the riders drop down the hill towards the dip at the bottom. While the top of Barregarrow is great, the bottom is extra special. The bikes leave the ground on a ridge in the road. As they land the suspension fully compresses and the bike bottoms out in the dip before rebounding back. This obviously all happens in a matter of seconds. It is both frightening and thrilling to watch the riders fight to keep control of their machines. Without doubt one of my favourite sections of the course.
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2016: WHo aRe tHe ContenDeRs? The Isle of Man TT is a race that rewards familiarity. It takes three editions to get three years experience and that’s typically the length of time it takes to master the circuit and have enough knowledge to compete at the front. Here is a look at five of the main players ahead of this year’s races. John McGuiness – England – 23 TT Wins McPint is still the man to beat in many ways. His experience and speed is beyond question and given that he claimed the Senior last year there is no doubt that he is still the King of the Mountain. McGuiness is not as dominant as he once was and it’s the big bikes and the TT Zero that will offer him his chances of winning but it would be a brave gambler to bet against another TT success.
Ian Hutchinson – England – 11 TT wins The only man to win five races in a week and coming off three wins last year he’ll be a clear favourite again this year, particularly in the Supersport class. Hutchie’s determination and will to succeed are second to none and he is clearly as motivated as ever this year. Last year’s spoils showed that he is still capable of competing at the TT and with a clear run through his preparations, unlike last year when he switched bikes late in the build-up.
Michael Dunlop – N.Ireland – 11 TT Wins Last year Dunlop showed how much he wanted to trumphs by walking away from his SMR machine midway through the TT. Leaving money at the table to give him the best chances of winning gained a mass of respect but also put him on the back foot. This year Dunlop is riding the bikes he wants-a BMW in the Superbike and Superstock classes and a Honda in the Supersport class-and is out to prove a point. Without a win since the 2014 Senior TT Dunlop is out to show again that he is the fastest man on the roads.
Bruce Anstey – New Zealand – 10 TT wins Anstey is an anomaly in a lot of ways. He is incredibly fast on the roads but races sporadically. His focus is on the Internationals in general and the TT in particular. Having retaken the outright lap record Anstey is searching for another win and with the MotoGP derived RCS2013-RS available to him this year he could be in line for a very special fortnight.
Peter Hickman – England – 0 TT wins The fastest ever newcomer is riding a Superbike for the first time and will embark on his third TT as a real contender. Without a podium at the TT Hickman has tasted success at the Ulster and Macau Grand Prix as well as been a podium man at the NW200. He is the coming man of the sport and if he can adapt quickly to the Superbike and understand what it needs on the road Hickman could be a real dark horse this year.
2016 isle of man tt
Saturday 28th May 18:20hrs – 18:45hrs Solo Newcomers’ speed controlled lap 18:35hrs – 19:00 hrs Sidecar Newcomers’ speed controlled lap 18:45hrs – 20:50hrs Supersport/Lightweight/ Newcomers (all solo classes) Monday 30th May 18:20hrs – 19:50hrs Superbike/Superstock/Supersport/Newcomers (except Lightweight) 19:55hrs – 20:50hrs Sidecars Tuesday 31st May 18:20hrs – 19:25hrs Superbike/Superstock/Supersport/Newcomers (except Lightweight) 19:25hrs – 19:55hrs Supersport/Lightweight/ Newcomers (all Solo classes) 20:00hrs – 20:50hrs Sidecars Wednesday 1st June 18:20hrs – 19:50hrs Superbike/Superstock/Supersport/Newcomers (except Lightweight) 19:55hrs – 20:50hrs Sidecars Thursday 2nd June 18:20hrs – 19:25hrs Superbike/Superstock/Supersport/Newcomers (except Lightweight) 19:25hrs – 19:55hrs Supersport/Lightweight/ Newcomers (all solo classes) 20:00hrs – 20:50hrs Sidecars Friday 3rd June 18:20hrs – 19:45hrs Superbike/Superstock/Supersport/Newcomers (except Lightweight) 19:50 hrs – 20:35hrs Sidecars 20:35 hrs – 20:50hrs TT Zero Challenge
RACE DAY 1 Saturday 4th June 11:00hrs RST Superbike TT Race 6 laps 14:00hrs Sure Sidecar TT Race 1 3 laps 15:55hrs – 16:30hrs Supersport/Lightweight Qualifying 16:35hrs – 16:50hrs TT Zero Challenge Qualifying RACE DAY 2 Monday 6th June 10:45hrs Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1 4 laps 12:25hrs – 13:05hrs Sidecar Qualifying (2 laps) 14:00hrs RL360 Superstock TT Race 4 laps 16:07hrs TT Lightweight Qualifying (1 lap) 16:28hrs TT Zero Challenge Qualifying RACE DAY 3 Wednesday 8th June 10:45hrs Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 4 laps 12:35hrs Sidecar Qualifying (1 lap) 13:45hrs Bennetts Lightweight TT Race 4 laps 15:40hrs – 16:00hrs Senior TT Qualifying 16:25hrs SES TT Zero Race 1 lap RACE DAY 4 Friday 10th June 10:15 hrs Sure Sidecar TT Race 2 3 laps 12:45hrs Pokerstars Senior TT Race 6 lap
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packing bags... By David Emmett
C
oming from Mugello and heading into Barcelona, MotoGP finds itself in the middle of the early summer stretch of classic European tracks. Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello, Montmeló, Assen, Sachsenring, Brno: these are the circuits that have been the backbone of Grand Prix racing for the past 20 years or so. When I think of MotoGP, these are the tracks I think of. Massive crowds of passionate fans at tracks made for two-wheeled racing, and with motorcycle culture at their very heart. (Le Mans may be the exception there: the track is a little too stop-and-go, and the fans are mainly passionate about spreading mayhem and misadventure, the reason I avoid the event.)
How long will it stay like this, though? This is the time that negotiations start for the coming MotoGP season, and it’s not just the riders and teams who are doing the talking. Preliminary conversations will be starting with venues, too, with Dorna talking to their counterparts at Formula One about a very rough planning of their 2017 schedule. Among the circuits hopeful of being added to the 2017 MotoGP calendar are tracks in Indonesia, Thailand and Kazakhstan, while Chile and Brazil are also contenders. There has even been talk in the past of races in Russia, the Crimea, India, and Singapore. There are a lot of reasons why MotoGP needs to head east. As anyone with a racing-related Twitter account and more than a handful of followers can attest, they love their MotoGP in South East Asia. Motorcycle manufacturers love them too: Asia and South America are booming markets where bikes sales are in the millions. Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and now even Ducati are sending their riders to PR events throughout the region, to help sell their bikes in growing economies. A growing middle class has also seen a boom in sales of higher end bikes, hence Ducati’s entry into the fray.
This love for all things two-wheeled, and especially for racing, means that Asia and South America are crying out for a race, and Dorna are crying out to give them one, or preferably more. If Dorna had their way, there would be a race in Indonesia, one in Brazil, one in Chile, and a race in India too. But, I hear you ask, don’t Dorna run the sport? Surely, if they want a race somewhere, they can just decide to have one? If only it were that simple. First and foremost, there is the small matter of having a circuit in place, and one which lives up to the safety standards required by the FIM. That is the main reason there has not been a race yet in Indonesia, for example. There has been a lot of talk of MotoGP returning to Sentul, near Jakarta, but the track there is simply not up to hosting a Grand Prix. It badly needs resurfacing and the facilities are not apt for a Grand Prix paddock, the number of teams and space they take up having vastly expanded since the last time they were there back in 1997. There are plans to upgrade the track but this runs into the biggest obstacle facing any prospective MotoGP race anywhere in the world: Politics. The money needed to pay for the upgrades at the Sentul circuit is supposed to come from the public purse, but the local government is less than keen on paying out taxpayers’ money to the circuit’s owners. For the track is owned by the family of Tommy Suharto, son of the former Indonesian dictator, and a convicted murderer. They fear any subsidy paid to the Suharto clan will disappear into the family’s already vast fortune, rather than being spent on work to improve the track. So the government has said that they will only pay for upgrades to Sentul if the track is in public ownership. At the moment it looks like a race in Indonesia will not take place at Sentul but rather at a new circuit to be built near Palembang in South Sumatra.
The downside to this is that the site is 500 kilometres from the capital Jakarta, and on a different island. Though Palembang’s population of well over 1.5 million should be enough to fill the stands at a race track, it would be much easier if the track was near Jakarta, which is home to nearly 10 million people and a major international airport. Politics is key to another problem with going to possible venues. Of the potential host countries for a MotoGP race, Indonesia is ranked 88th on the Transparency International Global Corruption Index, Brazil and Thailand tied 76th, and Kazakhstan 123rd. Only Chile has anything like a decent record, ranking 23rd on the list, equal with France and, interestingly, well ahead of Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic. What that means in practice is that getting things done requires either a lot of money to help grease the wheels of commerce, or powerful political friends who can ensure that movements happen. In a country like Indonesia, with its endemic corruption, just getting to and from the track can be an expensive and difficult business if the local police decided to start demanding bribes. When the race has the backing of a powerful local politician, they can make sure that the police leave the teams and riders well alone. However, the risks of relying on powerful local friends were made visible by the World Superbike rounds held near Moscow. That race was held because it had the backing of a regional governor who had an interest in motorsports, but that governor fell out of favour with Moscow, and his influence waned. The Russian round of World Superbikes waned along with it. Sometimes, it is simply bureaucracy that stands in the way. India hosted a round of World Superbikes but that race did not last very long. Local customs laws meant that teams had to pay a deposit equivalent to the full value of all bikes and equipment that entered the country, repayable only once all of
the equipment they brought into the country had left it again. What’s more, there was a six-week period needed for customs clearance, making getting equipment in and out of the country in time for the next race virtually impossible. This could signal trouble ahead for a British round of MotoGP as well depending on how the EU referendum goes on 23rd June. Should the UK vote to leave the EU, all existing customs rules will be dissolved, and have to be renegotiated. Grand Prix motorcycle racing could find itself caught in limbo for their visit to Silverstone, with a lack of clear direction on what the rules will be for importing and exporting many millions of pounds of worth of exotic racing equipment into the UK. F1 could be in an even bigger pickle, with so many teams based in the UK. So while Dorna and the factories hope to be able to expand into Asia and South America in the foreseeable future – and perhaps even next year – the task is not as simple as it appears. Nobody thinks that having four MotoGP races in Spain is a particularly good idea, but the fact is that they are held at safe circuits, with high attendance, and with local politicians bending over backwards to make the races happen (though Barcelona’s new mayor may be the first to hold a different view on that). The heart of the MotoGP season will continue in Europe for a while yet. But it can’t go on forever.
MotoGP
GRAn pReMiO D’itALiA
Le MAnS · MAy 8th · Rnd 5 of 18
MotoGp winner: Jorge Lorenzo, yamaha Moto2 winner: Johann Zarco, Kalex Moto3 winner: Brad Binder, KtM
Photos by CormacGP www.cormacgp.com Words by Adam Wheeler
0.87 a stunnIng set of races across arguably one of the best stages for motogp at mugello saw all three categorIes splIttIng the wInners from second place by a total of 0.87 seconds. catalunya Is up neXt thIs weekend but there was stIll plenty of talkIng - and to talk about - from Italy as lorenzo won hIs thIrd from sIX events, zarco fIred back from le mans dIsappoIntment and bInder somehow survIved moto3 for hIs hat-trIck
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JoRGe loRenZo “I watched for any mistakes and in the last chicane I had memories of 2005 in the 250s when I passed [Alex] De Angelis and I had this crazy idea to do the same so I opened a lot of throttle and maybe went too fast and Marquez came by. I thought maybe I’d lost the race because normally in MotoGP is not easy to pass the riders in slipstream but finally Marc has been struggling with the Honda this year so into the last corner I went quite close, recovered a lot of metres and took an unexpected victory.” “This is perfect [for Catalunya] and we were lucky today with the engine and obviously Rossi wasn’t and he is quite far in the championship. Having ten points over Marc gives you some confidence.” On the adverse reception from the Mugello crowd: “I don’t care about the people that have that reaction. It is a theory of Rossi’s from last year [that Marquez helped Lorenzo to win in Valencia] and they buy this thing. We are like the enemies no? I came here and made my focus like I do every year.” “Riding a Ducati here? I know that people are happy I signed for them because I feel a lot of support on social media. I believe next year the circuit will still be mostly yellow.” “Finally we had a battle on the last lap and some journalists were saying that we hadn’t seen that this year. I lost my foot on the gear [footpeg] just before shifting down and closing the throttle. I did it in the first practice and it happened in the race. It was at sixth gear and 340kmph. I put my foot there and it entered fifth gear suddenly. Marc was close and we touched and were lucky not to crash because it would have been a disaster. I said to him “sorry” because I changed my foot a bit on the gears and it could have created a big problem.”
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Valentino Rossi: “It is always a great shame when you have a technical failure in the race but this time it is more because it is in Mugello. I could fight for victory here and this was more than a target…it was one of my dreams in the last ten years because my last victory was in 2008. It is important to take energy from this bad moment for the next race...”
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MaRC MaRQUeZ “Today I lost the race in fifteen metres and I’ve never really had that in my career! In the last laps I was thinking of the championship but then the ‘Marc from the past’ came again and said: “attack and forget about the rest” so I did and we just missed some acceleration. I think it was a great show for the fans.” “In the end you feel frustrated. When I arrived in the Parc Ferme Nakamoto-san and the others said thank you for the race because they know we are struggling and we are working a lot to try and improve. I did a really good last lap and I know face-to-face with another rider I am strong but I lost on the straight…[this] never happened. We know this is our weak point but we will improve. With the Honda you need to push to the maximum always if you want to be fast.”
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WHeRe FoR Pol? The destination of the services provided by the Espargaro brothers for 2017 and beyond could already be made public by the time OTOR goes online and the countdown to Montmelo begins and a Grand Prix that is the sharp definition of a ‘home race’ as the pair come from Granollers just down the road from the circuit (Pol: “Montmelo is a race I go to on my scooter! I wake up in the morning in my own bed and off I go.”). Aleix could remain at Suzuki or be replaced by Johann Zarco. Pol has not been too complimentary about his synergy with the Yamaha and his disappointment at being overlooked for the factory saddle. The younger of the siblings allegedly still has the chance to spend a third year at Monster Tech3. “We haven’t considered him for the factory ride because his performances over the past two years have not been consistent enough or high-level enough to warrant [it],” said Yamaha Motor Racing MD Lin Jarvis. “Last year Bradley [Smith] was ahead of Pol in the championship and that was a disappointing season. This year he has started better but he is still quite a gap behind the leaders in each race. I think Pol still needs to improve and the bike he has is capable of achieving that. Would he do better in a factory team? Possibly yes because a factory team normally has that little bit extra. Pol is seriously still considered as a rider for Tech3 and his place remains open until he decides not to take it. I hope he continues to mature as a rider and can be a factory rider in the future.” “The bikes are very similar,” the Brit continued at the briefing specially arranged to explain the Viñales signature in the Movistar Yamaha set-up. “We are using a 2015-based chassis and they are using 2015. You can see that there are a few small developments we
have but honestly the difference in performance between the bikes is marginal. In the last race Pol qualified fourth and you don’t do that if the bike is not quick. He needs to transfer that potential and speed into race results.” “I try every weekend and I cannot really comment on the differences of the bikes because I don’t know how the factory ones are; I’d like to be able to!” Espargaro remarked when informed of Jarvis’ public comments. “I only know mine and it doesn’t go as badly as last year.” “What I want is something that motivates me and pushes me to look forward to the next season,” he continued to Spanish press on Friday. “Something where you can find your limit and the ‘limit’ of the bike. So it is about finding a change here [at Tech3] or something out there that gives me that motivation and inject that enthusiasm to get on the bike every weekend and enjoy it. I made a sixth in my first year and I don’t know how many people have done that in their debut. The bad luck was coming after Marc who made an incredible first season! Nobody else took a fourth place in only their fourth race in MotoGP; I’m the only one. I don’t think this carried as much value as I thought it would and afterwards I became a ghost and it was like it was nothing. Last year was awful but in Malaysia I was still fifth, Holland fourth and I had an operation in the middle of the season and I also went to Suzuka, learnt the track and won the race. Not every rider has a great season or excellent year [all the time].” “I’m twenty-four and I’m young,” he concluded. “The races I’m doing are not bad so the pressure is not counting against me. I think before Montmelo we will know something about my future because time is running out.”
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When it comes to Aleix then there was no thought of potentially being recruited by Suzuki to replace his brother. “I know it is Aleix and I won’t handicap my brother. If it’s a question of bumping my brother away from bike then unless it was a matter of life and death or to eat or starve - no; I’d look for other options.” Pol was of the opinion that Suzuki retaining his brother’s contract next to that of Andrea Iannone’s would be a wise move. “I’m not saying this just because he is my brother but I think it would be good for them to keep someone in the team who knows the bike and to keep developing it. If there are two new riders and they are starting from zero then it won’t be easy. The view was also aired by outgoing representative Maverick Viñales: “Aleix has always been working hard for the factory and takes good results. He was in front of me at Jerez. If they keep Aleix it will be a strong team but I don’t know…if they sign [Alex] Rins then it will be strong for the future. I’m not sure whether they need more experience.”
Aleix himself was unequivocal…but also hedging his bets: “I want to repeat, my dream, my everything is to stay with Suzuki for the next two seasons. As they talk with more riders, I’m talking with other teams to have more opportunities, in case they decide to give my bike to another rider. I hope that this will not happen, and I will continue. But again, Suzuki is big. Davide and the Japanese can decide to replace me.” While Suzuki Team Manager Davide Brivio indicated at Mugello that everything was still in the air: “About the other rider of course we have Aleix. We have talked to Aleix’s manager, who’s coming here and we’ll continue to talk. But there is no decision yet. We didn’t find an agreement yet and we didn’t decide anything yet about the other rider. Because also we didn’t really start because, as I say, until Le Mans we were just waiting Maverick’s decision and we didn’t take any action.”
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CRUtCHloW CoMPRoMises Cal Crutchlow lost the front end in qualification for yet more overtime for the LCR mechanics and the Englishman was in a position where he almost had to settle for eleventh to get some points on the board for only the second time this season. “I’m pissed off but what can we do? Same old, same old,” he said on Saturday. “We are pushing in the corners too much. We know we are losing four tenths from the last corner to the braking of the first on the Ducati alone. To Marc and Dani we’re losing four seconds in the race, to Dovi and Iannone it is eight in a straight line. In the end where can we try and get those eight seconds back? We have to brake later into the corner.” “We go into a race weekend expecting that at one point we are going to be on the floor,” he added. “Most of the riders who are on certain bikes are thinking the same because it is a lottery whether you stay up and if you make a corner or you don’t. We thought maybe with my weight and on the brakes we were overloading the front. We had the 340 discs and we were the only ones to be using them out of me, Dani and Marc. Jack [Miller] also but he was also crashing in the last few races. So we went back to the 320 and what happened? It made no difference.” When asked if the spate of crashes had eaten into his confidence at all the 30 year old was resolute. “Not really. If you put me on a Yamaha then I will hammer the guys who are
on those satellite Yamahas. Put me on the satellite Ducati and I will hammer those as well. That is the way I feel and I’m not being arrogant saying that because I’ve done it. I’ve been seven times on the podium with Tech3 on a bike that is a lot worse than what they are on now. I am not in any different situation now compared to the start of the year when we received this bike and this engine. You don’t want to come to a race thinking ‘this is going to be a difficult weekend’ but that’s the way it is. I know I sound like a broken record but is my confidence down or anything like that? No. I’m pissed off at the situation but I cannot get myself out of the situation. If they want me to ride around and finish a race – no problem – I’ll go slower and finish but do you think Lucio [Cecchinello, LCR team owner] comes to me and says that? He doesn’t, he tells me to push as much as possible and he also knows that it is not his fault.” “I can only praise Honda because they are trying but what can we do now? You cannot suddenly bring something after one race for the next,” he added. “It cannot be done overnight. There are a million things that have to be done before they bring something. We know they cannot bring an engine; it is done and sealed so then we’re looking at chassis, swingarm, blah blah but they need time to work on it. We know they are working but we don’t see any miracle cure that’d for sure. I pray every night for it. That said I’m definitely getting great support and being treated well week-in week-out. I feel that I am giving them the information they need.”
How on earth to label the Moto3 class this season? Mugello produced incredible and almost unbearable scenes. The whole thirtynine minutes was a tense and utterly gripping experience with up to twelve riders all passing through the same routine of slipstreaming on the main straight, squabbling over inches of space at San Donato (turn one) and then breathing each others exhaust in snake-format for the rest of the lap. Mugello was heart-breaking for Romano Fenati, Aaron Canet and Jorge Navarro but Brad Binder rode defensively and made the Red Bull KTM as unsociable as possible on the final circulation to go three in a row. “The whole race was crazy; I think that is the only word to describe it,” the South African offered. “I led onto the straight for a few laps and went from first to eighth or ninth. I knew it was so important to position myself well with two laps to go.” The fact that the top five were split by seven hundredths of a second tells you all you need to know. Binder suffered a crash in practice and admitted that he had a problem with the rear shock that affected his feeling in qualification and warm-up. “I’m was 100% sure that it would be impossible to get away here and the race would all come down to where you could position yourself on the last lap and to get it right feels great. When I crossed the line it didn’t feel real. It took me seventysomething races to get a win and now I have three in a row!” What did it feel like it the heat of it all? In particular the nudge with Navarro. “I led onto the main straight and almost had a few moments with the other riders. You get sucked into the group very quickly and there are so many people you cannot see everybody! When they split sometimes you cannot move because there are guys around you. I’m really lucky we both didn’t crash otherwise we would have been flattened and it took me a couple of corners to calm down again because I was thinking ‘that could have been bad…’.”
The key to winning? “Before Jerez I saw it as something really difficult but since then I have learnt that to keep relaxed and do the last lap like you have done all the others. I always used to push 10% more on the last lap and I’d get eaten up because I’d make mistakes. I cannot thank the team enough because of what they taught me over the last year and it is what is helping me in the races at the moment. They explain ideal situation. My strategy was to learn for fifteen laps and then go and position myself well for the last lap.”
BinDeR’s BaRnstoRMeR
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ZaRCo ZooMs it FoR Win nUMBeR tWo Moto2’s aborted first attempt with Sam Lowes out front led to the highest scrutiny of the quick race re-start (verdict? the rule book needs a closer study) and then a rapid tenlapper in which World Champion Johann Zarco and Lorenzo Baldassarri enacted a duet ‘cover’ of the Moto3 repertoire. It was pure sprint chaos and the sight of the Frenchman and Italian somehow finding two lines through curves like Materassi and Borgo San Lorenzo was a real treat. “We knew that for ten laps we had to be quick,” the Ajo rider said. “Balda was really strong and smooth with a lot of corner speed. My bike was faster on the straight so I was using it well and I knew I had to lead on the last corners.” “I was surprised that the others were not joining the fight; it was very, very good,” the 25 year old back-flipping apparently-Suzuki bound rider commented. “He had more corner speed than me and I had to manage it. I did not want to let him lead too much. If I made a mistake it would be hard to catch him again. We have a lot of respect for each other so even if we touched sometimes we had a clever battle and one that you only see in Mugello.” “It looked good from behind!” said Lowes who heads to Catalunya with a two point advantage over Alex Rins and Zarco seventeen behind.
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Ajo Motorsport
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sMitH DeCoDes MUGello Bradley Smith was top satellite rider on Saturday and Sunday in Italy and will surely be hunting the same distinction in Catalunya where he has been 6-10-5 in the past three years and also enjoyed a 125cc podium in 2010. The Monster Tech3 rider gave some detailed insight on handling the rapid off-cambers in Italy. “The third section is quite downhill and it is a little bit vague you just have to let go of the bike and ride through it. Downhill the bike is not really ‘coming at you’ - if that makes sense – and because it is off-camber then the front just feels a little bit vague and a bit ‘nothingy’. What I am missing is miniscule but it is what MotoGP is about now. One and a half tenths in three places is unfortunately almost half a second. It doesn’t look like much on the data but it all adds up. I did all my laps alone and having that reference in the blind up-and-over corners does make a difference.” He also chatted about the process of analysing and dissecting his performance over a weekend and how a MotoGP star can find that extra momentum. “I have a gut instinct of what I think it is; you kinda know where you are not feeling great. At the beginning of the season I had no idea where I was fast or slow; I didn’t feel anything. Now I know and where I feel iffy there is something missing. I always look at data and ask questions like ‘why am I doing that?’ As a rider you try to adjust to the feeling that you need. If you are grabbing the brake harder than you should then it’s because you are not loading the front like you want to. Or you might be scooting up the front of the bike a little bit more to try and load it that way. You work hand-in-hand in asking what you are doing and why and how to have a better feeling for other parts of the race track as well. So a bit of visualisation and bit of going off my gut instinct together with the data.”
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‘On-track Off-road’ is a free, bi-weekly publication for the screen focussed on bringing the latest perspectives on events, blogs and some of the very finest photography from the three worlds of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the AMA Motocross and Supercross series’ and MotoGP. ‘On-track Off-road’ will be published online at www.ontrackoffroad.com every other Tuesday. To receive an email notification that a new issue available with a brief description of each edition’s contents simply enter an address in the box provided on the homepage. All email addresses will be kept strictly confidential and only used for purposes connected with OTOR. Adam Wheeler Editor and MXGP/MotoGP correspondent Ray Archer Photographer Steve Matthes AMA MX and SX correspondent Cormac Ryan-Meenan MotoGP Photographer www.cormacgp.com Simon Cudby AMA SX/MXPhotographer Matthew Roberts Television Presenter and WSB correspondent Gavin Emmett TV commentator/Presenter and MotoGP Reporter Núria Garcia Cover Design Gabi Álvarez Web developer Hosting FireThumb7 - www.firethumb7.co.uk Thanks to www.mototribu.com PHOTO CREDITS Ray Archer, CormacGP, Milagro, Graeme Brown/GeeBee Ducati Corse Press, Honda Pro Racing, JP Acevedo, Steve English, KTM, Ajo Cover shot: Tim Gajser by Ray Archer This publication took a lot of time and effort to put together so please respect it! Nothing in this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the editorial team. For more information please visit www.ontrackoffroad.com and click ‘Contact us’.